Former
by YAJJ
Summary: Two ex-members of Team Aqua/Magma have to try harder than most to prove that they are good, and learn that despite never knowing any other family members, they are not alone.
1. Prologue

_**Former**_

_Prologue_

A/N: Got the idea from a story that I was writng (which will NOT be posted) and I'm just thinking, "well, it won't only happen to those three" (Ash, Gary, and Lyra) and I started thinking about these two, so yeah. This happened. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>"Papa, you have to promise that you'll come back and train us real well, okay? You will come back, won't you?"<p>

Norman Birch (brother/best friend to Professor Birch) stood with his hands on his hips and his Linoone and Slaking by his side. His son and daughter were in front of him, clutching his pant leg. The twins—Brendan and May Birch—were watching him, giant ruby and sapphire eyes waiting for him to answer them. He glanced up and noticed the look his wife gave him. Swooping the children into his arms to pass them over to his pokemon so they couldn't hear, he demanded, "how the hell am I supposed to answer them about a question that I'm not sure of the answer? I don't even know if I'll be _allowed_ to come back!"

Megan raised her eyebrows at her husband. Her long, brown hair flew in the breeze of the fan. "Just tell them that you will. They won't let you leave if they know that maybe you won't," she said.

Norman gave her a desperate look, sighed, and turned toward the expectant kids in Slaking's arms. "Kids, I…"

"Oh, don't worry Brendan. Daddy's the bestest trainer that there is out there! He's gonna come back and make us the bestest trainers with our Zigzagoon!" little May held up a stuffed pokemon of a Zigzagoon. Brendan had one as well, though that one was being clutched to his chest.

Brendan turned to his sister, two years worth of knowledge working to decide if such was true. Then, "yes, Papa, May's right! But you've _gotta promise_ to come back and train us. We're gonna be the best Normal trainers in the whole world, May and me! Maybe even better than Papa!"

Chuckling, unable to down their spirit, Norman ruffled his son's hair, and stroked his daughter's. "You'll definitely be better than me." He tugged them against him and hugged them tightly. The kids squealed in delight and giggled happily. They snuggled against his chest. "Be good for your Mama, do as she asks, eat your vegetables, not too much candy, and don't talk to strangers." He reminded them. Both nodded enthusiastically.

"I told you, we're gonna be the best! Right, May? And to be the best we gotta listen!" Brendan insisted.

"Right!" May chirped beside him.

"Good." Norman agreed. Then, he hugged and kissed his wife, returned his pokemon, and left, not expecting to see his little kids again. He hated that he'd lied to them, but it'd had to be done.

Nearly two weeks previous, he'd been called by the Pokemon Headquarters on a request to investigate a Rayquaza that had started rampaging. It was a dangerous job, one that he may never return from. And even if he did, it'd be years later, probably once Brendan and May were all grown up, had forgotten about him, and were off on their own journeys.

He didn't know much about the future: what surprises and dangers it would hold for him or his family. But he did know one thing.

Those kids waiting his return in Littleroot Town would be his sole driving force. They'd drive him until he went right over the edge. And he'd never regret a single moment of it.

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><p>"Norman, there's a call for you, we're patching you through."<p>

Norman was a little peeved. He could have _had_ that Trapinch if his PokeNav hadn't chosen to go off at that moment! He'd grudgingly answered it, and was surprised to find his boss on the phone. His boss didn't sound exactly happy either.

"…Okay. Who is it?"

"Your wife."

Norman was more than a little stunned. Megan wasn't supposed to be in contact with him. Maybe the kids had just been asking too much to talk with him or something. Hopefully. After a few seconds, he heard the rather desperate cry from his wife of, "Norman!"

"Hello Megan. What is it?"

"It's the kids! You… you have to come home right away!" Megan sounded to be nearly in tears, fighting to keep her cool. It wasn't working.

"What _about _the kids, Megan?" Norman demanded.

"I… I don't' know… they… they weren't up by the time that they normally were this morning so I decided to let them sleep in a little later than normal, but I couldn't' wait that long… and then I went to get them… they weren't there! Their little Zigzagoons were there, but they weren't!" Finally, Norman could hear her crying desperate tears. "And… and there was scorch marks on the wall near May's bed, and puddles of water all around the floor near Brendan's… Someone took them! Two different people, even! And I don't know what to do! I called the police but they've come up with nothing!"

Norman squeezed his PokeNav angrily. Who would have taken his children? Who would possibly want to? They were only two years old, for crying out loud!

"Please, Norman, I can't do this on my own… come _home_…" Megan pleaded with him.

"…I'll see what I can do. I'll come visit as soon as I can, at least." He assured. He switched the PokeNav from one ear to the other.

"…Kay… the police said that they'd keep searching, but… Norman! What if they've been hurt? Okay, no, stupid question. I know that they've been hurt! I'm sure of it! But… but what if they've been killed? What if they're dead? And… and then whoever took them leaves them on the side of the road and some nasty pokemon, like, eats them or something? Or they were thrown into the ocean, never to be seen again? Oh my god, are my babies dead?"

Megan had started hiccupping from the fear and the tears, making Norman sigh and coo, "Megan, dear, you're upsetting yourself. I'm sure that they're just fine."

Megan cried to him for a few more moments before settling. "I… I'm going to go talk to Brad. I'll… see you later. Love you." She breathed.

"Say 'hi' to my brother for me. Love you too. See you soon." Norman replied. He sighed when his wife hung up.

Angrily, he dug into his pocket, clutched the first thing he found, and threw it harshly into the desert he was traveling in. "Son of a bitch!" he started off on a little rant. His pokemon watched in worry. His Vigoroth even turned away.

After a few minutes of ranting, Norman calmed himself, and just felt his heart race. He noticed Vigoroth approach, clutching something in his claws. The Wild Monkey Pokemon held up a pokeball—what he'd thrown. Norman picked it up and pressed the button in the middle. In a burst of white light, the newest addition to his team burst out. It cocked its head to the side and scuttled around him nervously. "Trap Trapinch?"

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><p>Brad Birch is, in fact, Professor Birch. He needed a name. Brad seemed legit.<p>

Please review?

~YAJJ


	2. Escape

_**Former**_

_9-years-later. Escape_

A/N: I'd like to say _special thanks to_... but I can't. Thanks guys. :p Sorry about the bad summary, but I don't know how to explain this! DX

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><p>The moon beat down on the ocean surrounding the rocky cliffs of the Team Aqua Hideout. Waves splashed on the cliffs roughly, sending up sprays of water. Hardly a soul was awake in the hideout, most fast asleep, trusting the moon to shed its protective power on them.<p>

One, however, was doing whatever he could to avoid the light that that power showed itself in. A boy with white hair and ruby eyes darted into the shadows again and again, until he was able to run. As far away as he possibly could.

A Poochyena panted along beside him, never drifting behind or rushing ahead, simply standing beside him, offering protection as best as he could. "Poo… poochyena poo!" he cried to the white-haired child.

The boy eventually slowed to a stop and set his hands on his knees, panting. Poochyena came to him gratefully and cuddled against the boy's leg. He barked and flicked his tail toward the bag on his back.

Nodding, the boy took the bag off of his back, stooped, and leaned against the wall. He opened the bag, and the pokemon inside leapt out and started growling. "No, don't!"

"Mud mudkip! Mudkip mud!" the pokemon snarled, turning first toward the boy and then to Poochyena. Poochyena growled at it, telling it to be quiet.

"Mudkip, _please_ don't do this! We have to _go_!" the boy said.

Mudkip snarled at him and launched up at him with a Tackle. The attack hit his stomach and sent him crashing against a crate. The crate on top of it tottered, and then hit the ground with a crash. The boy covered his eyes with one arm, his head with the other, and cried, "Son of a Wurmple!" out of surprise.

Poochyena tossed him a surprised, angry look at his language. The boy offered him a sheepish smile. Then he turned back to Mudkip. "Mudkip, please stop this. We're not trying to hurt you, we want to help you! Unless you _want_ to stay in Team Aqua forever. Because I certainly don't." he pleaded.

Mudkip whined softly, and turned to look at Poochyena. The pup yipped and sat, waiting for his best friend to make his escape attempt. The blue Water-type snarled angrily, having received no help from the pup, and glared at the boy. He flicked his tail toward the large white 'A' on the blue fabric of his shirt and the blue one on his black headband.

The boy reached up and touched the blue A on his headband, and sighed. "I know I am, I know. I don't need everyone reminding me. Trust me, this won't be easy." He stooped in front of the Mud Fish Pokemon, and petted its head softly. "But just because I'm 'from' Team Aqua, doesn't mean that I believe in what they do. Just ask Poochyena!"

Mudkip glanced back at Poochyena, who nodded, his tail wagging. Its paw scraped the ground softly, and it snarled, "kip!" then, it continued down the hallway, as though the boy hadn't said a thing.

The boy sighed, but smiled at Poochyena. He lifted the pup into his arms. "Thanks, buddy. C'mon, we'd better get going." With that, he followed Mudkip until he caught up with the little fellow, stooped, and swooped the pokemon into his powerful arms. And then, he continued his way toward the guarded entrance, near which he would finally make his escape.

Two Sealeo were at the entrance, to guard from any attacks. The child expertly avoided them; making no noise and not letting his shadow hit anywhere near them. Finally, he reached a window. He hefted both Poochyena and Mudkip up to the window, and waited for them to hop down onto the unsteady rock before he hopped up and slid out himself.

The waves were churning the water roughly as, slowly, the protective gaze of the moon was covered by vicious black clouds.

He, however, wasn't worried. He'd been taught to swim at a young age and had, since then, grown up almost literally on the ocean. He knew that Mudkip, as a Water-type, could probably swim this easily, but Poochyena he was less sure about. "Are you ready?" he asked the pup.

Poochyena turned his nervous gaze from the water to his friend. He gulped, and then nodded assuredly, though he didn't entirely believe himself.

The boy saw his nervousness, and turned to Mudkip. "You won't leave him here, will you?"

At first Mudkip didn't answer, but then it sighed. "Mud." It replied softly.

The white-haired child nodded at it, understanding what it meant. He faced the churning ocean, prepared to launch, and finally propelled himself into the water. His hands came together above his head in a swan dive, and he fearlessly struck the potentially fatal water, slipping beneath it effortlessly and kicking out at the water to send him closer to the mainland. He breathed out his oxygen and headed straight for the surface. Once he broke the surface, he wiped the saltwater out of his eyes and turned to face the two pokemon still on the cliff. He waved to them, telling them to hurry up. After all, they couldn't be traveling during the day, not in the early stages of their escape plan. People would recognize them, and either arrest him or bring him back. And back on _this _island was the last place he wanted to be.

Poochyena howled a frightened cry to him, but he shook his head and waved again, kicking his feet to carry him closer to the mainland. Eventually, Mudkip shoved him forward, getting frustrated with the pup's anxious actions. Poochyena let out a yelp but glanced down at his best friend and threw himself into the ocean. Mudkip jumped seconds later. Moments after they hit the water, Poochyena appeared on Mudkip's back beside the boy. He whimpered, but helped Mudkip by kicking when the boy plowed forward toward the mainland.

Once the boy escaped the chilled waters, he breathed in a sigh of relief, and then pulled both pokemon onto the beach. He pulled out a map that he'd stolen from Archie's office, and studied it intensely. "This… this city up here must be Lilycove. I've heard that they'll let you stay at the Pokemon Centers for free. We'd better go there." He said, climbing off of the beach and toward the city.

Poochyena barked, and the boy turned to him. He pointed his tail at the shirt on the boy's chest. The child glanced down and blushed. "Oops… oh yeah. Thanks, Poochyena. Mudkip, you know Mud Shot don't you? Do you think you can cover this until I have the chance to change?"

Mudkip looked unsure, and even snarled at him, daring him to ask again for its services. But Poochyena snuggled his head beneath its chin and offered it the puppy face, to which it couldn't refuse. It growled, "mud. Mud mudkip mud _kip_."

The boy nodded. "Thanks, Mudkip. I'm ready, go ahead."

Mudkip prepared the nasty mixture in its throat, and shot it at the child's shirtfront. The A was completely covered with mud. And what's better? Completely unrecognizable.

Poochyena yipped again, this time at his headband. The boy slid it off and looked at the A there.

Mudkip gasped. Almost exactly where the A had been on the headband, a scar A was seared onto his skin.

"There's… not much I can do about that, Poochyena. You know that." The boy said. He slid the headband back on where it had been, and set off again for Lilycove.

Poochyena's ears traveled down self-consciously, and he followed his friend. He turned to Mudkip, whose tail hit the ground and followed them as well.

Staying in the shadows, they managed to make it to the Center without being spotted. The boy covered his eyes as he stepped into the bright light of the Center, but still wandered sheepishly toward the counter.

The nurse raised her eyebrows at him. "You're quite the mess there, kid. What can I help you with?"

"Do you have a place that my friends and I could stay at?" he asked.

The nurse looked him over, and her eyes widened. She took a step away from him. Poochyena sighed and growled quietly.

"You know… I think that we do. Might I ask your name?" she asked.

The boy knew that he couldn't give his real name. That would point him even more to Team Aqua than his headband already did. He thought for a few seconds, and managed, "Ruby."

She, too, thought for a moment. Then she nodded at him. "Alright, Ruby, follow me." She turned around and came out from behind the counter to lead him upstairs. He followed her, and Poochyena leapt after him, still nervous. Mudkip reluctantly followed them. The nurse showed them to a room and wished them good night, and then left in a hurry.

Poochyena hopped up onto the comfy-looking bed, and snarled at his trainer. "Poochyena."

"I know you did." The boy replied.

Mudkip hopped up beside Poochyena and laid down. "Mud kip kip? Mudkip mud mud mudkip." Its tail flicked toward Poochyena.

The boy smiled at Mudkip. "No, Ruby's not my real name. But I can't tell them. I can imagine that it won't be long before Archie goes around posting signs about a rogue Team Aqua member, dangerous, arrest upon sight kind of thing." He said. He squatted and held his hand out to the little mudfish. "My name's Brendan, _former _member of Team Aqua. Nice to meet you."

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><p>There? Is that better? XD<p>

Please review

~YAJJ


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